1972 USAC Championship Car season

The 1972 USAC Championship Car season consisted of ten races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 18 and concluding at the same location on November 4. The USAC National Champion was Joe Leonard and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Mark Donohue. Jim Malloy was killed at Indianapolis in practice; he was 40 years old.

1972 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races10
Start dateMarch 18
End dateNovember 4
Awards
National champion Joe Leonard
Indianapolis 500 winner Mark Donohue

After sponsoring the USAC Championship Trail in 1970-1971, Marlboro dropped out of the sport for 1972. After only two seasons as title sponsor, the company became angered when rival Viceroy was signed on to sponsor Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing, at the time dubbed the "super team" of the series. Without any exclusivity clause, managers at Marlboro deemed the situation "impractical and untenable,"[1] and abruptly quit. Marlboro would not return to Indy car racing until 1986.

Schedule and results

All races running on Oval/Speedway.

Rnd Date Race Name Track Location Pole Position Winning Driver
1 March 18 Jimmy Bryan 150 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Bobby Unser Bobby Unser
2 April 23 Trentonian 200 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Bobby Unser Gary Bettenhausen
3 May 27 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana Bobby Unser Mark Donohue
4 June 4 Rex Mays Classic Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Bobby Unser Bobby Unser
5 July 16 Michigan 200 Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan Bobby Unser Joe Leonard
6 July 29A Schaefer 500 Pocono International Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania Bobby Unser Joe Leonard
7 August 13 Tony Bettenhausen 200 Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Mario Andretti Joe Leonard
8 September 3 California 500 Ontario Motor Speedway Ontario, California Jerry Grant Roger McCluskey
9 September 24 Trenton 300 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Bobby Unser Bobby Unser
10 November 4 Best Western 150 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Mark Donohue Bobby Unser
^A Originally scheduled for July 2, postponed because of rain.

In the fall of 1971, a tentative schedule held the possibility of returning road courses to the championship schedule. Races at Colorado, Donnybrook, Bridgehampton, Road Atlanta, Mosport, as well as a return to Rafaela, Argentina, and a new "Florida 500" at the proposed "Florida International Raceway", were all part of an early press release.[2] However, all road courses were ultimately left off, the Argentina race was discontinued, and the Florida race course was never built.

Final points standings

Note: Peter Revson is not eligible for points.

Pos Driver PHX
 TRE
 INDY
 MIL
 MIC
 POC
 MIL
 ONT
 TRE
 PHX
 Pts
1 Joe Leonard 5 4 3 5 1 1 1 15 3 DNQ 3460
2 Bill Vukovich II 20 18 28 4 11 4 2 3 4 15 2200
3 Roger McCluskey 7 2 24 7 8 11 19 1 8 6 1970
4 Al Unser 6 20 2 19 15 3 15 31 23 4 1800
5 Mark Donohue 17 19 1 2 2 16 1720
6 Mike Hiss  RY  10 7 7 13 26 6 2 14 DNQ 1665
7 Johnny Rutherford 13 DNQ 27 21 16 2 3 10 6 5 1620
8 Bobby Unser 1 17 30 1 14 20 Wth 24 1 1 1500
9 Sam Sessions 4 4 15 4 1440
10 Mike Mosley 3 13 26 DNQ 5 5 2 1250
11 Mario Andretti 2 22 8 8 12 7 11 27 28 3 1135
12 Gary Bettenhausen 4 1 14 3 24 19 DNQ 790
13 Wally Dallenbach Sr. 9 6 15 DNQ 2 14 DNQ 21 7 24 720
14 Salt Walther 11 33 DNQ 8 6 27 690
15 Lee Kunzman 22 17 18 5 9 4 26 12 23 670
16 George Snider 16 DNQ 11 23 6 21 18 8 10 10 517
17 Sam Posey 5 5 19 500
18 Lloyd Ruby 21 6 22 26 DNQ 17 18 7 490
19 Mel Kenyon 23 10 18 15 3 13 16 28 11 9 460
20 Art Pollard 14 DNQ 7 9 11 450
21 Jimmy Caruthers 9 12 22 10 12 415
22 Gordon Johncock 3 20 9 22 22 13 20 360
23 Rick Muther DNQ 24 20 12 5 15 22 250
24 Jim Malloy 15 5 DNQ 200
25 Swede Savage 19 16 32 6 17 23 9 20 19 19 200
26 Dick Simon 18 14 13 9 7 16 12 DNP 16 14 200
27 Bill Simpson 24 DNQ 13 24 24 9 17 200
28 Johnny Parsons 6 22 17 DNS 160
29 Cale Yarborough 10 DNQ 150
30 John Mahler 8 22 11 27 25 18 130
31 Jerry Grant 12 20 33 21 8 125
32 Tom Bigelow DNQ 21 DNQ 7 DNP 13 120
33 Steve Krisiloff 12 21 18 32 14 11 15 18 120
34 John Hubbard  R  8 100
35 Al Loquasto 9 DNQ DNQ DNQ 80
36 A. J. Foyt 8 25 Wth 30 22 21 75
37 Bentley Warren DNQ DNQ 14 18 10 26 20 60
38 Lee Brayton  R  DNQ 10 DNQ 17 DNQ 60
39 Jim McElreath DNQ DNQ 10 DNQ DNS 45
40 George Eaton 11 DNQ 30
41 Jim Hurtubise 12 21 23 DNQ 23 DNQ 15
42 Greg Weld 33 DNQ 12 6
- John Martin 16 17 17 20 32 13 0
- Dee Jones 13 0
- Carl Williams 29 16 30 14 0
- Joe Tetz  R  15 23 0
- Larry McCoy  R  DNQ 19 21 24 0
- Denny Zimmerman 19 25 25 0
- Peter Revson 31 31 23 0
- Gig Stephens 23 0
- Merle Bettenhausen DNQ 25 0
- Arnie Knepper DNQ 25 0
- Jerry Karl DNQ 28 29 0
- Bob Harkey DNQ 29 0
- George Follmer DNS 0
- Larry Dickson DNQ DNQ 0
- David Hobbs DNP DNQ 0
- Eldon Rasmussen DNQ DNP 0
- Bill Puterbaugh DNQ 0
- Jigger Sirois DNQ 0
- Bud Tingelstad DNQ 0
- Bruce Walkup DNQ 0
- Parnelli Jones DNP 0
- Don Brown DNP 0
- Dennis Ott DNP 0
- Tom Sneva DNP 0
- Ned Spath DNP 0
Pos Driver PHX
 TRE
 INDY
 MIL
 MIC
 POC
 MIL
 ONT
 TRE
 PHX
 Pts
Color Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green 4th & 5th place
Light Blue 6th-10th place
Dark Blue Finished
(Outside Top 10)
Purple Did not finish
(Ret)
Red Did not qualify
(DNQ)
Brown Withdrawn
(Wth)
Black Disqualified
(DSQ)
White Did not start
(DNS)
Blank Did not
participate
(DNP)
Not competing
In-line notation
Bold Pole position
Italics Ran fastest race lap
* Led most race laps
 RY  Rookie of the Year
 R  Rookie

References
  1. "Marlboro Bowing Out As Auto Racing Angel". The Indianapolis Star. December 17, 1971. p. 54. Retrieved January 22, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "USAC Lines Up 17-Event Slate". The Indianapolis Star. September 15, 1971. p. 37. Retrieved January 22, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.

See also
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